| NET Bible | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! To write this again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you. | 1Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you. |
| 2Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh! | 2Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; |
| 3For we are the circumcision, the ones who worship by the Spirit of God, exult in Christ Jesus, and do not rely on human credentials | 3for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh, |
| 4--though mine too are significant. If someone thinks he has good reasons to put confidence in human credentials, I have more: | 4although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: |
| 5I was circumcised on the eighth day, from the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews. I lived according to the law as a Pharisee. | 5circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; |
| 6In my zeal for God I persecuted the church. According to the righteousness stipulated in the law I was blameless. | 6as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. |
| 7But these assets I have come to regard as liabilities because of Christ. | 7But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. |
| 8More than that, I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things--indeed, I regard them as dung!--that I may gain Christ, | 8More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, |
| 9and be found in him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ's faithfulness--a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ's faithfulness. | 9and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, |
| 10My aim is to know him, to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and to be like him in his death, | 10that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; |
| 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. | 11in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. |
| 12Not that I have already attained this--that is, I have not already been perfected--but I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me. | 12Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. |
| 13Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have attained this. Instead I am single-minded: Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead, | 13Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, |
| 14with this goal in mind, I strive toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. | 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. |
| 15Therefore let those of us who are "perfect" embrace this point of view. If you think otherwise, God will reveal to you the error of your ways. | 15Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; |
| 16Nevertheless, let us live up to the standard that we have already attained. | 16however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained. |
| 17Be imitators of me, brothers and sisters, and watch carefully those who are living this way, just as you have us as an example. | 17Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. |
| 18For many live, about whom I have often told you, and now, with tears, I tell you that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ. | 18For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, |
| 19Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, they exult in their shame, and they think about earthly things. | 19whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. |
| 20But our citizenship is in heaven--and we also await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, | 20For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; |
| 21who will transform these humble bodies of ours into the likeness of his glorious body by means of that power by which he is able to subject all things to himself. | 21who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. |
| NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. //netbible.com. Used by permission. All rights reserved. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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